An Unlikely Friendship
by RosalieCullen93
Summary: An unlikely friendship develops between Gryffindor's brightest student and Slytherin's grouchiest teacher. Friendship , Mentor-student, no romance.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger was late for class. She mentally cursed the invention of the cell phone-and her father getting a hold of one and sending one to her-as she raced through the door of her potions class. Professor Snape eyed her strangely.

"You are late, Miss Granger."  
"Yes I am." She awkwardly agreed.

"Do you have an explanation for this?" He asked. It was, after all, an unusual occurrence.

"No, sir. I overslept. It won't happen again."  
"Ten points from Gryffindor. Please go to your desk."

She hung her head and walked slowly to her seat. Snape continued the lesson. After calling on several students who all gave incorrect answers to his question he sighed and decided to call on Hermione. He knew she'd have the answer. She was staring, distracted, out the window. He felt an emotion somewhat resembling concern as he looked at her. He had never known her not to pay attention in class. Something was definitely wrong, but it was none of his business.

"Miss Granger?"

She didn't respond.

"Miss Granger?"

Still no response.

"Hermione Granger!" He shouted, annoyed.  
"Yes, Daddy?" She blurted out, then gasped and covered her lips. Snape raised an eyebrow. A few students snickered. Shit, she had daddy issues. Every male professor's worst nightmares. He had to turn down at least three love-struck female students, and occasionally a male student, every semester. Hermione at least had the decency to blush. She stood up.

"I should probably leave now." She said softly.

"No, Miss Granger, it's alright. I was out of bounds to address you by your first name anyway. I must…remind you of your father?"  
"…Somewhat." She replied, sitting down. "What was the question?"  
"What properties make up the antidote to the poison _lusistrusta_?" (A.N-I made this up)  
"Sea salt and ivy leaves." She answered.

"Good girl." He said, unable to resist. She blushed harder and he continued his lecture. He decided to not tease her anymore; she looked like she was on the verge of tears. As class ended she stayed behind.

_Dear Gods she's going to try to kiss me and it'll be '92 all over again. _He thought. _Whatever became of Robin anyway?_

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

She walked up to his desk. "I'd like to apologize for my tardiness and for the…incident."

"It's alright." He said. "You're not the first female student to mistake me for their father."

She arched an eyebrow quizzically. "Really?"  
"Look up parental transference." He paused. "There's something else isn't there?"

She nodded. "I owe you an explanation. You see I had an argument with my father last night. You know what a cell phone is?"

Snape nodded. He tried to keep up with the muggle world occasionally.

"So, my dad sent me one and we've been talking a lot more. Last night he brought up something that upset me. You see he's a dentist and his dad was a dentist and his dad…well, you see where this is going?" Hermione asked, sighing.  
"Your father wants you to be a dentist?" Snape deduced.

"Yes. And I don't want to!" She whined. "I mean, I don't want to put my fingers in other people's mouths all the time! That's disgusting!"

Snape nodded. "And what do you want to do?"  
She shrugged. "I…I kind of think I'd like a career in magical law enforcement…make a difference, you know."  
"Does your father approve of this?"

She shook her head. "I think he keeps expecting `me to go back to the muggle world. But I can't. This is my home."

"Many muggleborn and half-bloods come to feel that way." Snape said. "Despite the prejudice of small-minded idiots, this is as much your home as it is any other witch."

"That means a lot to me, Professor." She responded, smiling. "If you were my father, what would you think?"  
"What would I think of you?" Snape asked. "You're an exceptionally bright girl, though your choice of friends is unfortunate and you have occasional laps in common sense. I would support any decision you make. I believe I've heard parents tell their children you can be anything you want to be? You can be anything you want to be Hermione. If you were my daughter, you'd make me proud." He hadn't intended to make such a long speech, but the girl looked like she needed some encouragement. Hermione was positively beaming.

"Thank you, Sir." She said, suddenly hugging him. He rolled his eyes and hugged back.


	2. Masks

For whatever reason, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were constantly arguing. This had been accepted at Hogwarts as the natural order of the universe. But, no one argued in Severus Snape's classroom. He did not tolerate disruption. He did not tolerate disrespect. Above all, he did not tolerate talking in his classroom. He noted Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger arguing outside his classroom, as was their daily ritual. He expected them to quiet down when they entered his classroom. They did not. They continued arguing.

"You stupid mudblood!" Draco shouted at Hermione as he walked in the room. All eyes turned to him. Snape did not like yelling in his classroom. And he _despised _that particular word.

"Fifty points from Slytherin." He said coldly. "I should remind everyone that I most certainly do not tolerate profanity in this classroom. Also, Draco, that'll be one month of detention."

Draco's jaw dropped. "B-but sir-"  
"No, buts Draco. Go sit down."

Then Draco made a mistake. Draco made a very big mistake. Draco opened his mouth without thinking about the words that were about to come out.

"You've said worse than me! You were a Death Eater!"  
The room had been silent, but now it became somehow _more _silent. No one brought up Snape's past. He was the grumpy potions master, nothing more. As far as the students of Hogwarts were concerned he had always been a grumpy potions master.

Snape's lips were drawn very tightly. Draco stood there frozen.

"I was." Snape said. "And you once kissed a muggle boy."

All the color drained from Draco's face. "How do you know about that?" Draco hissed.

"Your daddy tells me things. Like how you sucked your thumb till thirteen."

"Professor, I get the point." Said Draco sitting down at his seat. Hermione stifled a giggle and sat down in her own seat.

Order restored, Snape returned to his lesson. Hermione couldn't help but notice that he seemed distracted and at the end of the class he left the room looking deeply troubled. Hermione, being nosy by nature decided to follow him. She followed him as far as the Slytherin commons room where she stopped. Did she dare? Yes, indeed she did. She walked through after a Slytherin let her enter. She explained to him that she was looking for Professor Snape.  
"He seemed like he was in a bad mood." The Slytherin girl told her.

"Still, I…I really need to ask him something."  
She shrugged. "Your funeral."

She led her to his room then scurried off. Hermione knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Snape gruffly demanded.

"It's Hermione Granger."  
"What do you want, Miss Granger?" _A Gryffindor in the Slytherin dungeon? What's the world coming to?_

"I just…I wanted to see you."

Snape sighed. He knew he'd never get her to leave him alone.

"The door's unlocked, Miss Granger."  
She opened it, then closed it behind her when she saw what Snape was doing. Snape was sitting on a couch, holding a Death Eater mask. He held it up for her to see it.

"Masks, Miss Granger, are most interesting things wouldn't you agree?"  
"I think I would sir."  
"It's an old mask. I haven't worn it in years. From the way people act though you'd think I walked around in it."

Hermione walked up to him. "I don't see you that way, Professor."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't. You'd try to find the good in the Dark Lord himself. But I was a Death Eater." He looked at her. "I said terrible things about your kind. I helped others do terrible things to your kind. I wouldn't blame you for hating me."

Hermione shook her head. "Draco's such an arsehole."

"No, he's not. He's really a good young man. He's just young, like I was. We all make mistakes." He looked down at the mask. "You make one mistake…"

"Why do you keep the mask?" Hermione asked.  
"To remind myself of my sins, Miss Granger." Snape answered.

Hermione was feeling brave so she sat down next to Snape. "Why did you become a Death Eater?"  
"I don't know. I guess because I fell for it. I had a muggle father, Miss Granger. Oh my I hated him. He was an abusive bastard. And the Dark Lord, believe it or not, can be affectionate and fatherly. He was like a second father, a good one. But then I realized he was just using me." Snape looked over at her. "I bet you've never made a mistake quite like that have you?"  
Hermione shook her head. "I can't say I have. But I do understand."

Snape snorted. "No, you can't understand."  
"Well, I…I want to try." Hermione said. "Because I don't believe you're an evil person."

"I wish I could believe that." Snape said. He smiled at her. "I sometimes think you fancy me Miss Granger."  
"Well, not in _that _way, Professor, but I do like you. Your class really challenges me."  
"Glad to hear that." He said. "I try to challenge my students."

They sat there in silence a few minutes. "You know Draco fancies you, right?"  
"WHAT?!" Hermione demanded.

"It's true. And he's too stupid and immature to admit it. His father found his diary."

Hermione burst out laughing. "He doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of dating me!"  
"Oh, I know. And he's terribly ashamed of himself for fancying a mudblood."

Tears were streaming down Hermione's face she was laughing so hard. She wiped her tears. "Did he seriously once kiss a muggle boy?"  
Snape nodded. "Yep. He was fourteen. Lucius had him sent to straight camp."

They sat there for a bit longer. Hermione looked down at the mask. "That mask isn't who you are, you know."  
"I know."

"Professor, are you hungry?"

"A bit. Why?"  
"Would you…would you like to have lunch with me?"  
A hesitant smile spread across Snape's face. "That might be nice, Miss Granger."

He stood up, returned the mask to its hiding place and followed Hermione to out the room. Later, both the Gryffindor's and Slytherins watched in awe as the mismatched pair ate together.


End file.
